1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for holding soap and for combining soap pieces with a new bar of soap and more particularly to a novel combined soap holder and press which employs a semi-circular cam pivotally carried on one end of the holder for forcibly urging a lid against the soap contents of a supporting dish.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, full use of a bar of soap is rarely achieved since as the bar is used, it becomes increasingly thinner and finally breaks into two or more remnants. Due to the difficulty in using such remnants for bathing and toilet purposes, the remnants are normally discarded even though they include a substantial volume or quantity of soap material. Due to the cost of soap products, it is advantageous that these remnants be re-combined with a new bar of soap so that they will become useful for washing purposes.
Several attempts have been made to employ devices which combine soap remnants but difficulties have been encountered when attempting to combine soap remnants with a new bar of soap. Such difficulties usually stem from the fact that the soap holder is of insufficient volume to carry both remnants and a new bar of soap and the means for compressing the soap remnants with the new bar are insufficient to achieve adhesion therebetween. Rather crude presses have been employed which have attempted to use rotating or screw type mechanisms for compacting soap remnants while other devices have merely suggested hand pressing a lid against the soap remnants held by a dish. Although some compaction is achieved, it is difficult to release or part the soap from the dish after compaction and a substantial amount of water still remains in the device.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed for a soap holder and press combination which will readily compress soap remnants into a new soap cake employing a mechanical press means for assuring adhesion between the remnants and the soap cake and which will provide proper drainage and a parting or separating means for breaking the compressed soap cake away from the device.